Matilda Lyn Captures the Ever-Present Highs and Lows of Life in 'Sunwarmed'
Summer slipping through your fingertips? Don’t worry, there’s an EP for that. Matilda Lyn’s sophomore collection of songs, Sunwarmed, contains seven tracks of pure melancholic bliss for indulging the season as it slowly fizzles away. The project follows the release of Lyn’s critically acclaimed debut EP, released last year, A Bowl Of Unripe Fruit.
Born and raised in Sweden, Lyn fell in love with producing during her time at the prestigious Musik Makarna school. Her dedication to the technical side of her music has always been obvious, but Sunwarmed makes it abundantly clear that this is an artist who puts their all into the performance as well as every single production element.
The Swedish artist describes this project as “Falling into a good place in your life and then falling out of it, in chronological order. It starts with the title track, feeling the warmth of life again and ends with a strong sense of oversaturation and loss.” This organic push and pull of life is embodied through the EP’s lush lyricism and captivating sonic landscape, showing Lyn’s innate artistry and unmatched vocal tone in their best light.
The title track and intro of the EP is “Sunwarmed,” a dynamic exploration of the small details in life that make the biggest difference. Over a raw guitar line, Lyn’s strikingly beautiful vocals take the listener by surprise, no matter how many times you’ve heard them before. The vocal layering on this track, and the project as a whole, is masterful and sounds as close to heaven as possible. Heavy synth and slight vocoder are introduced towards the end of the track to juxtapose the light-as-a-feather production, indicating the darker nature of what’s to come.
In “King’s Garden,” Lyn introduces a fuller, fairy-tale-like production that matches its regal title. Over a gorgeous bass line and a beat that picks up in the second verse, Lyn questions the possibility of happiness in lyrics like, “Is it possible to ask for heaven?” The following track, “My Love”, a vulnerable piano ballad, explores thoughts on the past, present, and future. With hauntingly brilliant backing vocals and distant trumpets, Lyn captures the sensitivity of time slipping away and evokes hope for a brighter future. Her lyrics are like storybooks, imbuing the indescribable ache of growing up into her illustrative lyrical poetry. “Bellyache” takes a more standard pop approach, providing a momentary exhale from the tension that preceded it. The track highlights the high stakes of falling in love with a friend and the looming possibility of ruining the relationship with romance. There’s anxiety at every corner, expressed through the overly upbeat production and heavy lyricism.
After another stripped-back intimate track and a glorious interlude, the project culminates with the victoriously ironic “No Fun.” In this perfect closer, Lyn sings about her woes while making a song that tries to counteract the negativity. She sings, “Tricked myself into thinking this could be a happy song,” and she means it. Littered with visceral metaphors and completed with a cinematic trumpet outro, listeners are able to soak up the finale of Lyn’s glittering vocal performance.
Sunwarmed is a triumphant follow-up to Lyn’s 2023 debut, showcasing her growth and signature style. Alongside the EP release, Lyn debuted a captivating live performance of “My Love,” which you can enjoy along with the album below.